1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power-assisted auxiliary door opening designed for use in connection with a conventional door closing mechanism so that a door may be opened with minimal physical effort by a handicapped person by way of a remote switch mounted on the door or the door jamb.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A door closing mechanism is a commonly used device for automatically closing a conventional access door at a given rate of speed and thereafter holding the door closed with a predetermined pressure. The closing pressure is selected so that the door can not be blown open or held open by the wind.
A typical door closing mechanism comprises a rotation control unit mounted in a housing on the door (or door jamb) and a pair of pivotally connected arms interconnecting the door jamb and the housing. Rotation of the door causes a pivot shaft to rotate in the housing, and the control unit (which is connected to the pivot shaft by way of a rack and pinion gear) controls the rate of closing the door. In the control unit, the rack gear is connected to a piston such that longitudinal movement of the gear causes the piston to compress an oil dampened spring. Upon release of the door, the spring causes the door to close, and the oil damping system regulates the speed at which the door closes.
New Federal Regulations require that access doors in commercial establishments be operable by handicapped persons employing no more than about six pounds of pressure. This causes a problem because most door closers hold the doors shut with substantially more than six pounds of pressure, and six pounds of pressure may be insufficient to hold a door closed against the pressure of a strong wind.
A number of automatic door opening devices are on the market but such devices are cumbersome, expensive and require complete replacement of the conventional, manually operable door mechanism.
One object of the present invention is to provide an effective yet inexpensive door opening device that permits a door to be held closed with substantial force while allowing a handicapped person to open the door easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary door opener that can be easily installed in connection with a conventional door closing mechanism as an add-on kit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary door opening device that permits the door to be opened manually by non-handicapped persons and automatically by handicapped persons.